'Junkman army' beats an untimely retreat
Effective employment
That is exactly what is happening in Shanghai, where some communities have hired junkmen to help residents sort and dispose of garbage. They can earn 900 yuan a month, and take recyclable waste to sell as well.
"I have seen news reports about the wonderful idea of hiring junkmen to assist waste sorting. I think Beijing can learn from it or think about other effective ways to use these people in the city's development," Chen Liwen said, adding that the government should consider waste sorting and recycling comprehensively, from front-end recycling to packaging to transportation.
"The original recycling industry was formed organically, based on market need. Driving junkmen out of Beijing is squeezing and disrupting the rule of the market," she said.
She noted that the amount of waste generated in Beijing is rising every year, and the public environmental protection system has its limits.
Beijing produces nearly 26,000 tons of domestic waste every day, and its 29 garbage-disposal facilities are already operating at full capacity. Last year, 9.3 million tons of household waste were collected in the capital, according to local authorities.
The public environmental protection system in each district cannot handle waste across administrative boundaries, but freelance junkmen can, and they have ensured that a lot of recyclable waste is transferred ready for re-use, Chen Liwen said.
Junkmen have also eased the burden on sanitation workers, who are not allowed to collect renewable trash for sale. However, junkmen can remove large amounts of the recyclable trash produced by residents.
"Although junkmen sometimes incorrectly mix different types of trash, the impact is less serious than that caused by indiscriminate garbage collection, landfill and incineration," Chen Liwen said.
"I read in the newspaper that Beijing will soon implement garbage sorting. I don't know whether it will be good for the junkmen or not, but I hope they will be organized efficiently and put to good use."
